Difference between revisions of "Sheep"
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Note: This does not mean that Christians are required to be sheepish. | Note: This does not mean that Christians are required to be sheepish. | ||
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American cuisine is noted for the absence of lamb and mutton dishes, and sheep are not widely farmed, perhaps because the idea of a sheep ranch might be perceived as undermining the national 'frontier' self image. | American cuisine is noted for the absence of lamb and mutton dishes, and sheep are not widely farmed, perhaps because the idea of a sheep ranch might be perceived as undermining the national 'frontier' self image. | ||
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| + | The [[Hawick Blueface]], native to the uplands of Roxburghshire and the Scottish Borders, is the largest native variety of British sheep. Its name derives from its characteristic mid-grey (not blue) face. Bluefaces provide a heavy yield of wool and the meat is fatty with a good flavour. | ||
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| + | [http://www.britishsheep.co.uk/breeds/hawick] | ||
==Sheep in popular culture== | ==Sheep in popular culture== | ||
Revision as of 03:21, May 8, 2007
Sheep are woolly herbivorous ungulates, that are farmed in many places for their wool, their fleeces, their meat and sometimes their milk. Male sheep are called rams or tups, female sheep are ewes, baby sheep are lambs.
While traditionally thought to be of limited intelligence there are wild (as yet unproven) stories of sheep being able to navigating obstacles designed to hinder their movements.
Sheep farming is particularly important in New Zealand, Australia and many parts of the United Kingdom, especially Wales and the wild borderlands of Scotland.
Wild Sheep
Wild varieties of sheep are found in many mountainous regions worldwide. Full species include the bighorn sheep of North America, the mouflon of Sardinia and Corsica, and the aoudad of North Africa. Herds of feral sheep are also known, such as the Soay sheep of certain Scottish islands, believed to have lived wild since the Bronze Age. Herdwick sheep are unique to the English lake District, Cumbria.
Sheep in the Bible
Sheep are mentioned many times in the Bible, and Christians are frequently likened to sheep of whom God is the shepherd, most notably in Psalm 23:
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
(KJV)
Note: This does not mean that Christians are required to be sheepish.
Old and New Worlds
American cuisine is noted for the absence of lamb and mutton dishes, and sheep are not widely farmed, perhaps because the idea of a sheep ranch might be perceived as undermining the national 'frontier' self image.
The Hawick Blueface, native to the uplands of Roxburghshire and the Scottish Borders, is the largest native variety of British sheep. Its name derives from its characteristic mid-grey (not blue) face. Bluefaces provide a heavy yield of wool and the meat is fatty with a good flavour.
Sheep in popular culture
Sheep are often used as a metaphor for unthinking followers of any particular ideology. George Orwell used them in this way in his novel Animal Farm when the sheep could be counted on to back up the animal revolution led by the pigs by baaa-ing Four legs good, two legs bad when required.
